Recipes: February 2005 Archives

Mike invented something called Human Food many years ago. As he created it, it was a mess of stuff that got you full and didn't really require cooking. The main version was, if I remember correctly, rice, kidney beans, and grated cheese ( blue food coloring optional).

Since then, I've refined the human food concept a little bit to make it work better for me. As I see it, human food is a quick, easy, one-pot meal that is filling, healthy, and provides lots of leftovers. I like to include at least one kind of starch, one kind of protein, and at least one kind of vegetable, plus whatever spices or other tastymaking ingredients you use. You can optimize your recipe for ease (e.g. use all canned beans & veggies), taste (adding more ingredients, spending a little more time), color (see above reference to food coloring), or whatever.

Today I made a batch of human food: I cooked wheat berries and canellini beans. When they were done, I sauteed up an onion and a bunch of garlic, threw in a splash of white vermouth, added a can of good-quality tomatoes and a bag of frozen spinach (new favorite ingredient! delicious and grit-free!). I finished with pepper, salt, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. It was delicious and took about 15 minutes (not including the cooking time for the beans and wheat).

There are a million variations for Human Food, though. You could make a Mediterranean rice salad with rice, tuna, olives, tomatoes, and feta, and lots of good olive oil and balsamic. Or an Indian spiced one, with basmati rice, garbanzos, diced squash, raisins, and spices (coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and/or curry powder). If you prefer Japanese food, go for sushi rice, cooked carrots, grated daikon radish, and pre-shelled edamame (another favorite ingredient, available in the frozen food section of good grocery stores and Asian markets), seasoned with sushi vinegar and soy sauce and sprinkled with nori and/or sesame seeds.

Rice isn't the only thing you can make human food with, but it's especially easy if you have a ricemaker. Here Ritchey cooks human food without even knowing it (but you'll note that in my version I add beans to fit my own definition). You could base it on couscous, pasta, quinoa, potatoes, or whatever. And as for protein, beans are great and cheap, but baked tofu, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, or nuts are great too. And of course, there are a million vegetables you could use.

Feel free to comment with your favorite Human Food recipes.

I made up a drink for my sister last night; she likes them "not too strong" (I have to put that in quotes since I'm not sure what that means).

Ginger Rose

1/2 lemon
1 1/2 to 2 oz vodka (depending on your tastes)
1/2 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
dash angostura bitters (optional)
squeeze of fresh ginger juice (press a chunk through a garlic press)
soda water

Muddle the lemon in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, vodka, Cointreau, bitters, and ginger. Shake well to mix. Strain into a highball or double old-fashioned glass, add a few ice cubes, and top off with soda water to taste.

I don't feel very well, and I wanted something to eat that was warm, filling, easy, and comforting. I remembered a recipe I tried a few years ago. It's very delicious, and versatile; I've made it with and without the tofu, and with all different kinds of vegetables. I'd like to introduce you to:

Okayu, or Japanese rice porridge

1 C sushi (short-grain) rice
4 C water
2-3 tablespoons white miso, or to taste
5-6 oz tofu, broken into chunks
1 C fresh spinach, cut into 1/4" strips
1 C fresh cabbage, cut into 1/4" strips
1 or 2 umeboshi (salted pickled apricots) [optional]
splash of sake or mirin [optional]

Rince the rice well in cold water, then drain. Mix with the 4 C of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the miso and stir to dissolve. Add tofu, spinach, and cabbage, as well as the umeboshi and sake, if using.

Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It is done when it has a creamy, homogenous texture.

Serve garnished with grated ginger, lemon juice, and soy sauce.